After passing the Cape of Good Hope, the Vendée Globe fleet is still almost intact

A calm Bay of Biscay and a less turbulent doldrums

The first days of Vendée are sometimes synonymous with chaos. Furious depressions, violent winds, heavy seas: the Bay of Biscay is a classic trap during departures in November. But this year, nature offered some respite. The doldrums, another dreaded passage, was also more lenient than usual. Fewer storms therefore fewer traps. Result: smooth progress for most of the competitors and in particular the foilers, who reached Bonne-Espérance at full speed, without being slowed down by the Saint Helena anticyclone, thanks to a depression born off the coast of Brazil.